A mother who lost her son to an asthma attack is campaigning for inhalers to be free in England, saying people should not have to “pay to breathe”.
Donna Smitheman, 44, from Chesterfield, Derbyshire, lost her son, Jordan Ashley Smitheman, 25, in December 2023 when he collapsed following an asthma attack.
The mother-of-two and her husband Steven, 48, performed CPR before paramedics took over but were unable to save her life.
Donna, who is an assistant teacher in special educational needs, is campaigning for asthma treatment to be free in England.
Donna said that although Jordan was able to pay for treatment (and had an inhaler in each pocket), some families may struggle.
Donna Smitheman, 44 (right) from Chesterfield, Derbyshire, lost her son, Jordan Ashley Smitheman, 25 (second from left) in December 2023, when he collapsed following an asthma attack.
Donna said: ‘His heart rate kept coming back but oxygen couldn’t get to his lungs. Her lungs were crushed. It’s been horrible.
‘The cost (of inhalers) was not an issue for us, but for other people it might be. People should not have to pay to breathe; that is not fair”.
Jordan was diagnosed with asthma when he was two years old after his parents noticed he coughed a lot when he ran.
Donna said the condition didn’t stop Jordan, but he often ended up in the hospital during the winter due to seizures.
She said: ‘He ended up in intensive care at 17. She was in a coma for five days. She was horrible. Even then I didn’t realize how serious asthma could be. We didn’t see how bad it could get.’
Jordan was with his girlfriend when the fatal asthma attack occurred on December 29, 2023.
The couple called an ambulance, but after being told there was a four-hour wait, Donna and Steven decided to take him to the hospital themselves.
Jordan was with his girlfriend when the fatal asthma attack occurred on December 29, 2023.
The mother-of-two and her husband Steven, 48 (second from left), who works in manufacturing, performed CPR before paramedics took over but were unable to save his life.
Since losing her son, Donna has dedicated herself to planning the funeral and is now campaigning.
Donna said the family has always been “very close”, and Jordan was particularly close with his sister, Alisha, 20 (Jordan pictured with his little sister Alisha when they were children).
Donna said: ‘He was struggling to speak and breathe. We moved for less than five minutes and he made these three horrible noises and collapsed.
‘We stopped and started doing CPR. We called an ambulance again and they told me to get a defibrillator.
“I couldn’t go in because I had left the phone with my husband, who was having chest compressions.
‘The paramedics had already helped us when I returned. They took him to the hospital and continued for an hour before they had to turn off the machine. “We cried but we were numb.”
Since losing her son, Donna has dedicated herself to planning the funeral and is now campaigning.
She said: “An ad for inhalers appeared on my Facebook, I clicked on it and some comments said it’s free in Scotland and Wales.
“Jordan always used to say, ‘How come I have to pay if it’s a life-threatening illness?'”
Although Jordan was able to afford treatment, Donna is aware that some families may struggle.
She said: ‘I’m not doing this for Jordan. There’s nothing we can do now. But we can help another family.
Donna said the family has always been “very close”, and Jordan was particularly close with his sister, Alisha, 20.
She said: ‘They were even mistaken for being a couple. He was so protective, so thoughtful. He was one of a kind from him.
In its Change.org Petitionexplains Donna, in the UK approximately 5.4 million people are currently receiving treatment for this disease.
But despite these high figures, asthma medicines are not free on the NHS in England (while they are in Scotland and Wales).
She wrote: ‘We believe that access to life-saving medicines should be a right, not a privilege determined by ability to pay.
‘We are calling on the NHS and the government in England to make all asthma treatments free. This will ensure that all people living with this condition have equal access to the care they need and can manage their symptoms effectively without fear of cost.’